Complaints relating to the behaviour and conduct of MPs

I can confirm that IPSA holds the information that falls within the description specified in your request.

We received a very similar Freedom of Information request in November 2010. The information disclosed in response to that request can be found on the IPSA website. 

I can confirm that IPSA has not received any further complaints regarding MPs’ behaviour or conduct since this information was released. The information you seek is, therefore, exempt under section 21 of the FOIA (information accessible to the applicant by other means) as the information is already in the public domain.

Some of the information you have requested is exempt under section 36(2)(c) of the Freedom of Information Act and is therefore withheld.

As you can see from the response provided in wFOI108, the qualified person has conducted the public interest balancing exercise in relation to the engagement of the exemption at s.36(2)(c) (prejudice to the effective conduct of public affairs) of the Act, alongside consideration of the s.40(2) (personal information) exemption and our duties under the Data Protection Act, specifically paragraph 6 of Schedule 2. It is the opinion of the qualified person that certain forms of adverse effect would or would be likely to follow from a full disclosure of the information you request.

Individual names and place names have been redacted. It is the opinion of IPSA’s Qualified person that this information is exempt in respect of MPs under s.36 (2)(c) and in respect of IPSA staff under s.40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act. In short, although the information is personal information, there is a legitimate interest in the public knowing the details of the conduct to which IPSA staff have been subjected. However, it is also very important and in the public interest that there is a satisfactory and effective working relationship between MPs and IPSA in implementing the new expenses regime. This would, in the view of the qualified person, be damaged by making public the names of the individual MPs concerned. The qualified person has therefore concluded that there is a greater public interest in withholding this information than there is in its release.